Font size of Daily Mirror angers NPP Deputy Minister

The concern from Deputy Minister of Mass Media, Kaushalya Ariyarathne, over Daily Mirror’s “big fonts” and front-page headlines, while the country tremors at the brink of a power crisis, is a glaring example of irresponsibility and vanity. The ignorance is bright, albeit not enough to keep an entire country away from probable blackouts.

On the 18th, the Daily Mirror reported on the likelihood of power cuts. On the 19th, MP Ariyarathne criticised the paper for using what she called “COCONUT SIZED” typography reporting the issue. The problem is not the newspaper—it is the government and MPs like her, who are obsessed with shifting blame rather than addressing reality. The world is at war, fuel queues grow longer by the minute, the cost of living is at a hike, and prices are skyrocketing. Yet her concern remains of the font size. 

The Daily Mirror, as a responsible source of information, which the MP describes as a “kalapaththare” values readers of the calibre MP Ariyarathne inadvertently acknowledged. Investors and stakeholders rely on accurate reporting, not on the size of a headline. Ironically, by complaining about the font, she inadvertently admits that power cuts may indeed occur in the near future.

Citizens bear the consequences of governmental inaction, while some parliamentarians are more concerned with appearances than the looming energy crisis. Bold headlines do not create crises—stupidity, avoidance, and obsession with optics do. If outrage is warranted, it should be directed at MPs who scold newspapers instead of safeguarding the nation from darkness.